The present invention pertains to a cutter tooth that has a hard insert at the axial forward end wherein the cutter tooth is useful to impinge and/or disintegrate a piece of material such as, for example, wood or earth strata. More specifically, the invention pertains to such a cutter tooth (such as, for example, an indexable stump cutter tooth), that when used in a stump cutter machine allows the stump cutter machine to experience an increase in operational efficiency (i.e., a reduction in operational downtime), as compared to a stump cutter machine that used earlier stump cutter teeth.
Heretofore, there have been machines used to impinge and/or disintegrate materials such as, for example, wood and/or earth strata. These machines have included (without limitation) machines used to cut or disintegrate wood or brush such as, for example, land-clearing machines, tub grinders, stump cutters and force feed grinders.
In the case of stump cutter machines (i.e., stump cutters), they have a plurality of teeth or stump cutter teeth mounted in the vicinity of the periphery (including without limitation at or near the circumference of) a driven wheel. The stump cutter is positioned near the stump, and then the wheel is driven (or rotated) and then moved in a radial sweeping motion whereby the moving stump cutter teeth impinge the stump. After having made a number of cuts or passes into the stump, the result is that the stump has been disintegrated below the surface of the ground. Exemplary patent documents that disclose a stump cutter include U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,143 to Ritchey for a CUTTING TOOTH ASSEMBLY, U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,815 to Bowling for a CUTTING TOOTH, U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,314 to Puch for a STUMP CUTTING TOOL ASSEMBLY, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,574 to Beach for a CUTTING BIT AND BLOCK MOUNT.
In a stump cutting operation, it is desirable for the stump cutter machine to maintain an optimum operational efficiency (i.e., a reduction in operational downtime). Operational efficiency of the stump cutter machine can be impacted by a number of factors including without limitation the ability of the stump cutter tooth assembly used by the machine to resist breakage and/or wear (and especially premature breakage and/or wear) of any component of the stump cutter tooth or the pocket (i.e., the holder that carries and retains the stump cutter tooth). Operational efficiency of the stump cutter machine is also impacted by being able to easily place back into service a stump cutter assembly used on the machine that has experienced (without limitation) a worn or damaged stump cutter tooth or a worn or damaged pocket.
Stump cutter teeth, as well as the supporting structure (i.e., the pocket), experience a great deal of stress during the stump cutting operation. During the stump cutting process, stump cutter teeth can experience catastrophic breakage, as well as become worn past a point of usefulness. Breakage or wear can occur in the steel body of the stump cutter tooth or in the axial forward hard insert affixed to the steel tooth body. When a stump cutter tooth breaks or wears past a point of usefulness, the stump cutter machine must be stopped, and the tooth must be replaced with another stump cutter tooth. The time and expense connected with the replacement of stump cutter teeth reduces the overall operational efficiency of the stump cutter machine (or apparatus). It would be advantageous to provide an improved stump cutter tooth that experiences a reduction in events (e.g., the breakage or wear) that require replacement thereof.
During the stump cutting process, the pockets (including the bolts or fasteners retaining the cutter tooth to the pocket) can also experience breakage and/or wear to such an extent that they must be replaced. Breakage of the fasteners (or bolts) can cause damage to the wheel to which the stump cutter teeth are mounted. Further, the bore in the pocket, which carries the stump cutter tooth, may elongate in cross-section due to wear over time so as to be detrimental to the overall cutting process. The time and expense connected with the replacement of the pocket or components thereof also reduces the overall operational efficiency of the stump cutter apparatus. It would be advantageous to provide an improved stump cutter tooth assembly (including the pocket and associated components) that experiences a reduction in events (e.g., the breakage or wear) that require replacement of the other components of the stump cutter tooth assembly including without limitation the pocket and associated fasteners.
It is inevitable that a stump cutter tooth, as well as other components of the stump cutter tooth assembly, will eventually break or wear past a point of usefulness to require replacement with another stump cutter tooth or pocket. This being the case, it would be highly desirable to provide an improved stump cutter tooth, as well as an assembly (including a pocket) that uses the improved stump cutter tooth, that enhances the operational efficiencies connected with replacement of stump cutter teeth or other components of the stump cutter assembly.